Jingtong Old Trail Introduction
The Jing Tong Old Trail has been in existence for at least a hundred years. It originated during the Qing Dynasty when residents of Shui Fan Jiao (present-day Xizhi) traversed the mountains and forests to settle in Jing Tong Keng to cultivate the land. Residents traveled between Pingxi and Xizhi, using shoulder poles to transport various goods, thus creating a mountain path. During the Japanese colonial period, large populations migrated to Pingxi due to coal mining, making it a mining hub. Although the Pingxi railway was built primarily for coal transport, the Jing Tong Old Trail remained an important route to Xizhi. Along the trail, there is a large rock featuring an ancient stone tablet with a prominently raised inscription. Despite the text being somewhat unclear, it can still be identified as the "Trail Commemoration Monument," which was established during the Japanese period to commemorate the opening of the Jing Tong Old Trail, making it an important site on the trail. After 1971, with the completion of roads connecting Pingxi to Muzha, Ruifang, and Xizhi, the old trail gradually became deserted, leaving only hikers searching for its beauty. The Jing Tong Old Trail begins at the Dongshan Creek Valley trailhead on the Xiping Highway, passes through the Shih Tuan Tzu Mountain area, crosses the highest point, the Pan Shi Ridge, overlapping with Xiping Road, and then enters the Pingxi District, passing through Rou Ban Ka, Niao Chao Qi, Yun Wu Gu, and Mo Shen Zai Cave to reach Jing Tong Keng. The entire trail is divided into two sections: the Xizhi section starts at the entrance on Dongshan Road across from the Renai Bridge; while the Pingxi section's entrance is directly opposite the Earth God Temple on Pan Shi Ridge, which is quite noticeable. The Xizhi section features rural landscapes with scattered farmhouses and villas in the mountains, while the Pingxi section is characterized by dense forests and challenging terrains.
